Davao City taxi operators warned vs. overcharging, contracting passengers

Taxi operators, in a forum held on Wednesday, December 20, were warned against overcharging and contracting passengers following reports filed by concerned citizens.

The forum was spearheaded by the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board Region 11 (LTFRB-XI), in coordination with the City Government of Davao and other concerned agencies.

During the forum, the operators were reminded of the violations under the Franchise Conditions and its penalties, highlighting overcharging and contracting of passengers, which are the recurring complaints received by concerned agencies.

Nonito A. Llanos III, Regional Director of LTFRB-XI, said that it was an unfortunate reality that despite having numerous responsible and honest taxi drivers in the city, there are still those who take advantage of the riding public, creating a notion that all taxi drivers in the city are violators of the law.

“Nasayod ko nga ang mga operators puros gyud gigusto nga magtinarong ang kanang atoang mga drivers, di ba? Di gyud ta gusto nga magbinuang ang atoang mga drivers kay tungod nga apektado ta [I know that our operators want our drivers to abide by the laws. We don’t want our drivers to violate laws since it will also affect us],” he said.

Meanwhile, City Transport and Traffic Management (CTTMO) Head, PLt. Col. Dionisio Abude emphasized the need to put an end to these violations to protect, not only the image of the operators and drivers but also to preserve the image of the city.

Llanos and Abude asked for the cooperation of the taxi operators in reminding their drivers to provide service that is safe, reliable, comfortable, accessible, and affordable, not only to Dabawenyos but also to the city’s guests.

“Di ni maundang kung LTO lang, LTFRB, TEU, ug sa amoang opisina kung dili pinaagi sa tabang and cooperation sa atoang operators. [This won’t end if we only rely on the LTO, LTFRB, TEU, and our office. We also need the help and cooperation of our operators],” Abude stated.

Through the forum, the operators were also able to raise their concerns and suggestions, as well as their manifestations to the concerned agencies. It became an avenue to consolidate their thoughts on the current transport situation in the city. The inputs of the operators, according to Llanos, will be used to come up with a system in Davao City that will benefit the riding public, drivers, and operators.

Plans for the Christmas season were also discussed.

The gathering was participated in by the head of the Operations Division of Land Transportation Office XI (LTO), Mr. Rey Tzaddi T. Montenegro; P Maj. Dexter Domingo, head of the PNP-Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU); and Mr. Harvey James Lanticse, Officer-in-Charge of the City Information Office (CIO) to represent the city government.

The City Government of Davao, LTFRB XI, and other agencies also encouraged the public to report violations to the proper agencies. They may also contact the Davao City Reports through these numbers: 0917 131 2333, and 0919 072 2222; or send an email to davaocityreports@davaocity.gov.ph. CIO